CLINICAL AND ENDOCRINE EFFECTS OF LASER VAPORIZATION IN PATIENTS WITHPOLYCYSTIC OVARIAN DISEASE

Responses to laparoscopic ovarian laser vaporization were studied in 1 7 anovulatory patients with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ov arian disease (PCOD). Ovulatory cycles uere obtained in 14 patients (8 2%). A total of 11 patients (65%) conceived within 1-8 months Measurem ents of basal serum hormone levels before and after the procedure in 1 2 patients revealed a significant decline in testosterone, dihydrotest osterone and androstenedione. In addition, luteinizing hormone (LH) le vels decreased, but not significantly. On the other hand estradiol lev els slightly increased and a surge in luteal progesterone levels was n oted. Serum levels of sex hormone binding globulin, prolactin, dehydro epiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate, 17-OH-progesterone and follicle stimul ating hormone (FSH) remained unchanged. These results suggest that ova rian laser vaporization is very useful when clomiphene citrate fails i n PCOD, and has no risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or multip le gestation, which is frequently observed in ovulation induction with drugs. Most of the endocrine abnormalities associated with PCOD are c orrected by the laser procedure.